WE must take time to pause and relish that the Philippines ranks 16th of 146 counties in gender parity. Filipino women like me are born into this world believing they can be anyone if they work hard enough. In the Philippines, we see women assuming high ranks in politics, the judiciary, the corporate world, business, profession and the military. We just take it for granted that it can be done. In Philippine maritime, many women take C-suite positions, especially at shore.

In the global shipping industry, gender parity has yet to be fully achieved. While there have been notable advancements in the past decade, with more maritime leaders attaining C-suite positions, women remain a minority both onshore and at sea.